Oz
Volume 1
Article 4
1-1-1979
Alvar Aalto: A Thematic Analysis
William C. Miller
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Miller, William C. (1979) "Alvar Aalto: A Thematic Analysis," Oz: Vol. 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.4148/2378-5853.1003
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Alvar Aalto:
Analysis
A
Thematic
William C. Miller
Associate Professor
Alvar Aalto died on May 11,
1976, leaving behind a large and
varied oeuvre. With the advent of
his death we enter into a period of
assessment to more fully understand his contribution to the architecture of the present century.
Aalto, unlike many of his contempories, preferred to avoid the
arena of architectural ideologies
and polemics. Instead of becoming over-absorbed in theoretical
issues he devoted his energy to
building. For he believed that " the
truth about buildings is in building, not talk." But it should not be
.assumed that his architecture
lacks a theoretical base. On the
contrary, his buildings provide
the insight as to the set of architectural issues and concerns
Aalto explored during his lifetime.
When penetrating into Aalto 's
architecture, one observes that
specific architectural ·c oncerns
and elements form a continuity
throughout his work, irrespective
of chronological development. It
is from these reappearing concerns and elements the importance of " themes " emerges in
Aalto's architecture : These concerns and elements form a
thematic network through which
an analysis of Aalto's architecture
can be developed. Although more
exist, the themes specifically dis-
The curved ceiling In the meeting room of the Vllpurl Library (1830-35)
was one of the first examples of the use of the undulating surface In Aalto's
architecture (photo: Karl Fleig (eel.), Alrar Aalto. Zurich: Verlag fur Ar·
chltecture Artemis, 1883, p. 55).
cussed here include : the undulating surface, light, mediation,
and Aaltoesque space. It must be
noted that although the themes
presented are isolated for the
sake of discussion, they must be
viewed in relationship with each
other, for they are constituent
elements forming a larger architectural whole.
The undulating surface as a
thematic element has appeared in
Aalto 's architecture as a ceiling,
wall, building form, space, glass
bowl and wood sculpture. Sigfried Giedion has noted that Aalto
was not limited by orthogonal
geometries, and seems to delight
in exploring the architectonic
possibilities of the undulating
surface. Although Giedion felt
Aalto's use of the theme is part of
a historical tradition from Borromini through the Wood 's at Bath
to Le Corbusier, nowhere in the
current century has this theme
been as pronounced as in the architecture of Alvar Aalto. 1
The undulating form first appeared, as a significant and dominant element, in the ceiling of
the meeting room of the Viipuri
Library. The ceiling 's importance
results from its functional
rationale (acoustic) along with its
poetic statement concerning the
.flowing quality of architectural
space created. As with many elements Aalto creates , the undulating surface as ceiling is repeated in later works: the Maison
Carre and the Central Finnish
Museum being recent examples.
In the Forestry Pavilion for the
9
Agricultural Exhibition in Lapua
the undulating surface became a
sinuous log wall. Baker House
Dormitory picked up this use of
the theme by becoming a great
serpentine wall overlooking the
Charles River. The House of Culture in Helsrnki is a series of
curved surfaces enveloping the
large hall and lobby w ithin .
The pol i ce headquarte rs in
Jyvaskyla w ith its undu lat i ng
concrete wall , and the scalloped
walls on the new Finlandia Hall
are current examples of the undulating surface as wall. A variation of the undulating wall can be
seen in the fan shaped form or
plan occuring in many of Aalto's
bu ildings. The housing projects
at Bremen, Lucerne and Otaniem i
make use of the fan-plan , as do
the l ibrar ies at Se i naj ok i ,
Rovaniemi and Mount Angel.
In the Finnish Pavilion for the
1938 New York World 's Fair, the
great flowing d isplay wall attempts to totally model the interior space. Twenty years later, in
the Vuoksenniska Church , the
spatial modeling suggested in the
Pavilion reaches its full development as the undulating space.
Here the entire space is an undulating flowing ensemble, no
longer merely a singular element
as wall or ceiling, but a resolved
rhythmic whole.
It is the diversity then , with
wh ich Aalto incorporated the
theme of the undulating surface
into his architectural frameworks
that is unique. However, the
theme is not limited to his architecture alone, but can also be
seen in his glass bowls and in the
The Interior of an older Finnish church located near Tampere with Its
curved wooden ceiling (photo: author).
wood experiments used in the development of his furniture. Four
sources seem to account for this
theme being so prevalent in
Aalto 's work : the Finn ish landscape , Finnish vernacular architecture , the programmatic
concerns of specific bu i lding
tasks , and Aalto 's own design
process.
The concept of the Fi nnish
landscape as a direct source and
a metaphor for the . undulating
surface has strong support and
acceptance from many writers,
with Giedion being the most insistent. 2 On a seemingly
metaphoric level one is hard
pressed to deny the power of the
Finnish landscape; the lakes, the
forests, the logs on the rivers and
mill ponds all contain the abstract
quality of the undulating surface.
But for this quality to be translated so literally into architectural
form by Aalto seems all too simple. Although the Finnish landscape may provide roots for the
existence of the theme, it has for
too long been the primary source
for most writers.
Aalto has stated , " Human life
consists , in equal degrees, of
tradition and new creation. Tradition cannot be wholly cast off and
regarded as used objects which
have to be replaced by something
new. In human life continuity is a
vital necessity." 3 The use of wood
as a building material in Finnish
architecture is particularly
strong , and a precedent can be
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A p,.llmlnary sketch for the Vuoksennlsk• Church (1t58-51) shows
Aelto's design drawing technique (from Fleig, Alr•r A•lto, p. 221).
found for the undulating form in
vernacular building. Many of the
old churches throughout Finland
contain beautiful curved wooden
ceilings. Thus , the man-made
forms of Finland may provide as
strong a design incentive for
Aalto as do the natural forms.
In terms of program, function
and context, much has been said
to explain the use of the undulating surface in Aalto 's buildings.
The ceilings of the Viipuri meeting room , the Vuoksenniska
Church , and the plans for the
Essen Opera House and other
concert halls are generated by a
concern for acoustics. The serpentine form of Baker House and
the fan-plans of Bremen and
Lucerne were used as a response
to context as well as program . The
curved forms of Aalto's furniture
results from the continuous manner of joining horizontal and verticle members, and can be viewed
as a purely technical solution. But
in all these cases we must speak
about the " preference for form ",
for no matter what the technical
solution , it was chosen to produce a desired form.•
The " preference for form "
comes from Aalto himself, and is
the last of the sources of the undulating surface. If we analyze
Aalto's design sketches we see
lyrical, sinuous, flowing lines. It is
in these drawings we see Aalto's
search and preference for form.
Individuals who have worked for
Aalto feel that the undulating
surface comes most strongly
from his idiosyncratic manner of
designing and drawing than from
the other sources. But there is always a fine line between where
the creative efforts of an artist
begin and wher:e the tradition and
milieu he works in ends. It is to
Aalto 's credit his work is able to
be read at these levels, for this
ensures an architecture containing many levels of meaning and
experience.
In reference to the ceiling of the
meeting room of the Viipuri Library, Giedion stated, " The architect today appears nowhere so
hesitant as in the region of the
ceiling , above the reach of everyday functions. Here to a large extent, the architect has freedom of
expression. " 5 This statement
could have been made in reference to many other ceilings in
Aalto's arichitecture which incorporate the use of skylights and
clerestories for obtaining natural
light. It must be remembered that
the ceiling of conical skylights in
the Viipuri Library reading area is
as significant as the undulating
ceiling of the meeting room. For
in Aalto's architecture, the concern for ceiling is often coupled
with the concern for light resulting in a dramatic synthesis of the
two.
Aalto's manipulation of light is
important on several levels. First,
it is a response to the dynamic
Finnish environment with its dark
winters and light summers. Second, is in the resulting vocabulary
of architectural forms Aalto has
created to bring light into his
spaces. Lastly, is the manner in
10
11
The reading room of the Vllpurl Library contains both the themes of
light and Aaltoesque space {photo: Fleig, Alrar Aalto, p. 53).
The section of the lecture hllllln the main building In the Otanleml com·
plex (1855-84) explains how the clerestories also act as cross beams to the
major structul'81 elements (from Karl Fleig (ed.), Alrar Aalto 1883·1870.
Zurich: Verlag fur Architecture Artemis, 1871, p. 187).
which the forms mediate between
inside and outside, both formally
and environmentally. The manner
with which light is handled and
the variety of architectural responses that Aalto has developed
seems unique in the context of
contemporary architecture.
There are several variations
within the theme of light; Aalto 's
use of conical skylights in the Viijjuri Library reading area being
the first. Six feet in depth, they
provide the space with an even
diffused light. The public space in
the Rautatalo Building , the library
in the Pensions Institute, the galleries in the Central Finnish
Museum , the lounge at Baker
House, and the Library in the
Wolfsburg Cultural Center are but
a few of the buildings in which the
use of this skylight reappears. A
further refinement was the addition of an artifical light source
above the skylight, which provides light during the dark winter
days in addition to melting the
winter snow.
The second variation in the
theme can be seen in the ceiling
of the main auditorium in the
Technical Institute at Otaniemi.
Here the light is deflected toward
the rostrum by curved panels
while simulataneously shielding
the light from the audience' s
view. The section indicates the
resulting synthesis of clerestory,
space, structure, and form. On a
more modest scale, the council
chamber in the Seinajoki Town
Hall, the meeting rooms in the
Wolfsburg Cultural Center, and a
recent church project for
Bologna incorporate this form of
lighting.
The large clear double glazed
skylights in the interviewing
area of the Pensions Institute provides the third variant in the
theme. Here, due to the clear
glazing , changing patterns of
light and shadow enhance and
enliven the vitality of the space.
An insulating air space is created
with the double glazing, which is
heated in the winter by the light
fixtures housed within (these also
provide supplemental lighting during the winter). The
recently completed Stockmann's
Bookstore uses a similar skylight
as does the library space in the
Scandinvaian House in Reykjavik.
The last variation of the theme
occurs with the light entering
through the wall plane and is then
diffused or directed by the ceiling
plane itself. Here is a more intense
manipulation and modeling of the
ceiling , both for spatial and
lighting reasons. The libraries at
Seinajoki and Rovaniemi, and
the North Jutland Museum provide the best examples of this
variation.
Aalto 's concern for the quality
and particular requirements in
the lighting of his spaces has led
to the design and production of
his own lighting fixtures. The design of these fixtures reflects the
same vitality of forms as does
Aalto's architecture. In summation, it is the variety of forms that
Aalto creates in dealing with the
problems of light, and their synthesis into larger architectural
wholes, that is the lesson here.
The notion of mediation was
mentioned briefly in the section
space .. Architecture as the
wall between inside and outside becomes the spatial record of this resolution and
its drama.•
The Interviewing area of the
Pensions Institute (1952·57) contains
both the themes of ltght and Aaltoesque space (photo: author).
on light, and is important enough
in Aalto 's architecture to warrant
discussion as a separate theme.
The best definition of the concept
mediation comes from Robert
Venturi:
Designing from the outside
in, as well as the inside out,
creates necessary tensions
which help make architecture. Since the inside is different from the outside, the
wall - the point of change
-becomes an architectural
event. Architecture occurs
atthe meeting of interior and
exterior forces of use and
Aalto's ability to reconcile the
forces of inside and outside without their expression becoming
suppressed , simplistic or forced,
is a valuable lesson in today's architecture. It is this pluralistic approach to architectural form and
to the solution of architectural
problems that results in the expressive architectural language
that Aalto has developed.
The Vuoksenniska Church provides the best example in discussing the notion of mediation. The
interior, which evolved as theresult of acoustics and the necessity for a three part division on the
sanctuary space , becomes a
flowing, sinuous, spatial ensemble. It is a space which makes little
pretense to its anonymity to exterior relationships. The exterior
form on the other hand, deals with
the issue of context, such as climate and the relationship to the
existing town plan. The shed-like
form does little to disclose the
spatial construction within. The
reconciliation of these two entities occurs on both roof and
wall, which takes on a thickness
and quality reminiscent of
Baroque architecture. The thick
double-glazed windows on the
east side of the building are a
dramatic resolution of the two
worlds. In addition to formally resolving the inside and outside,
these windows modify the light
and are acoustic and thermal barriers.
12
13
In the Interior of the Vuoksennlska Church, the undulating surface became the undulating space.
The Interior membnme (from the
theme of mediation) creates a flowIng spatial ensemble (photo: author).
Aalto 's Maison Carre is
another example of his ability to
reconcile interior needs and
space with exterior form . The
simple constant shed roof which
recalls the gentle slope of the site
in addition to responding to climate gives no indication of the
undulating space within . The
interior space is formed by a great
curved wooden ceiling which has
a two-fold function . It is used to
unify the entire space by implying
a continuity of flow; while at the
same time through its articula-
tion, defines and encloses
specific spaces within the overall
construct. Here again a dynamic
resolution between inside demands and external forces can be
seen.
To analyze many of Aalto 's
plans and sections is to observe
the concept of mediation at work.
The seemingly casual introduction of an undulating or splayed
space in an ostensively regular
building geometry - as seen in
the Essen Opera House, the
Seinajoki Town Hall or the New
Finlandia Hall - all attest to
Aalto 's ability to bring forth an architectural whole based on the
acknowledgements of the difficulties inherent in an architectural program.
In analyzing Aalto 's architecture, we observe that his spatial
conceptions are deeply rooted in
the image of human action. To
achieve this image Aalto creates a
juxtaposition between the enclosing spatial envelope and the
architectonic elements found
within. It was in the reading area
of the Viipuri Library where the
major elements comprising this
theme achieved their first significant synthesis.
The first aspect of Aaltoesque
space, as seen in Viipuri, is the
preference for a defined , enclosed and limited volume of
space. The space is a planar volume created by the walls, ceiling
and balustrade. The space lacks
articulation by any form of structural elements - columns, pilasThe Interior apece of the Mount Angel Benedictine College Llbnlry
ters, beams, etc. Secondly these
contained volumes are usually (1185-70) provtdea 1nother exprHtlon to the them• of light lind Alltoeaque
lighted from above, either tpiCe {photo: IUthor).
•
14
15
through clerestories or skylights
in the ceiling or upper wall region.
We see this image of contained
and limited space repeated in the
Town Hall council chamber at
Saynatsalo; in the central
spaces of the Rautatalo Building,
the Pension~ Institute and
Stockmann's Bookstore; and the
reading rooms for the libraries at
Seinajoki , Rovaniemi and Mount
Angel. It is against this static spatial construct that Aalto juxtaposes specific architectonic
elements such as staircases,
platforms and landings, railings
and balustrades - all elements
closely related to human action,
movement and touch . Thus, these
elements derive a special and
dynamic meaning through their
contrast with the static space.
In Viipuri the staircase becomes a dyn·amic element
through its expression (both
functional and symbolic) of
movement and flow. Aalto presents the staircase within the
space, creating an intensification
of the image of the human action
of ascent and descent. This presentation of the staircase within
his spaces occurs throughout
Aalto 's work and can be seen in
such examples as the foyer of the
Seinajoki Town Hall , the
Wolfsburg Cultural Center, the
main building and library at
Otaniemi, and the new Finlandia
Hall. In the recessed reading wells
in the Seinajoki, Rovaniemi and
Mount Angel libraries, we see
variations based upon the
paradigm established in Viipuri.
Reinforcing the dynamic quality of the staircase is its con-
stituent element, the handrail. At
Viipuri the handrail becomes
more than an object to touch ,
grasp, pause by or lean against: it
is the image of the actions occuring on the staircase made
more concrete. It is a line, agesture, suspended in space. It
creates its own space by embracing you or deflecting you . It
provides information as to where
you are going and where you have
been. In the staircase to the council chamber at Saynatsalo , in
the fover of the sports complex in
Jyvaskyla, in the many staircases in the various lobbies in the
numerous buildings in the
Otaniemi complex, and in a
myriad of other Aalto spaces the
handrail moves one through the
intended spatial sequence.
The last element, the balustrade, defines the connection
between the upper and lower
levels of the reading area. Aalto
constantly defines the relationship between the horizontal
planes in his spaces by using a
balustrade. As George Baird has
noted, the image defined by the
balustrade to the horizontal plane
assumes a quality of either stage
and promontory or shelter and
haven. 7 In the case of Viipuri, as
with most of Aalto's libraries, the
balustrade is thrust out into the
space to create the image of stage
or promontory. In other of Aalto's
multi-storied spaces, such as the
Rautatalo Building, Stockmann's
Bookstore, and the Pensions Institute, the balustrade is held
back to the edge of the space and
creates the image of shelter or
haven. The space of these balus-
trades are defined by the lowered
ceiling or soffit above, so that one
stands within a more contained
space off of the main volume. One
can participate with the main
space, yet one is allowed to withdraw to the more secluded shelter
behind the balustrade.
In assessing Aalto 's work it
must be remembered that he was
an architect totally consumed in
the act of building. Aalto's concerns were architectonic ones
explored in the context of designing and building.This is vitally important, for as Sir John
Summerson has observed of the
modern architect, " .. he has, for
some reason or another, stepped
out of his rOle, taken a look at
the scene around him and then
become obsessed with the importance not of architecture, but
of the relation of architecture to
other things. " 8 He continues by
warning, " If architects are more
interested in the relationship of
buildings to a social and scientific
context than in the buildings
themselves, it is probable that the
buildings will become dull, empty
and unattractive . ." 9
There seems, then, to be two
important lessons from Aalto's
work. First, he concerned himself
with the problems of light, staircases and railings, space, tecture,
the reconciliation of inside and
outside, sinuousity and scale : architectural concerns from which
he developed a dramatic and expressive architectural language.
Aalto's buildings are never dull,
on the contrary they are witty and
full of life. The existence of this
rich language comes from the
second lesson Aalto has to offer:
he never forgot what the role and
purpose of the architect was. For
the truth about Aalto , the architect, is to be found in his
buildings. For they convey the
image that the architect believed
in architecture as an affirmative
act, and the role of the architect is
to build as best he possibly can .
16
The atalrcaH and handrail to the council chamber In the SaynatHio
Town Hall (1850-52) (photo: author).
17
Footnotes
1. Sigfried Giedion , Space, Time
and Architecture. Cambridge, Mass. :
Harvard University Press, 5th edition ,
1967, see pages 637, 640 and 663-664.
2. Giedion, op. cit., pp. 620 and 640.
3. Alvar Aalto , " The Architect's
Conscience, " in Karl Fleig (ed.), Alvar
Aalto 1963-1970. New York : Praeger
Publishers, 1971 , p. 6.
4. Asko Salokorpi , Modern Architecture in Fnland . New York :
Praeger Publishers, 1970, p. 26.
5. Giedion, op. cit., p. 632.
6. Robert Venturi , Complexity and
Contradiction in Architecture. New
York : Museum of Modern Art, 1966,
pp. 88-89.
7. George Baird, in the introduction
to Alvar Aalto. New York : Simon and
Schuster, 1971 , pages 14-17 provide a
discussion of Baird 's view of Aaltoesque space.
8. John Summerson , Heavenly
Mansions and Other Essays on Architecture. New York : W. W. Norton &
Company, Inc., 1963, p. 197.
9. Summerson , op. cit., p. 199.
Illustrations: Captions
and Sources
Fig. 1 The curved ceiling in the
meeting room of the Viipuri Library
(1930-35) was one of the first examples of the use of the undulating surface in Aalto 's architecture (photo:
Karl Fleig (ed.), Alvar Aalto. Zurich :
Verlag Fur Architecture Artemis ,
1963, p. 55).
Fig. 2 The reading room of the Viipuri Library contains both the themes
of light and Aaltoesque space (photo :
Fleig, Alvar Aalto, p. 53).
Fig. 3 A preliminary sketch for the
Vuoksenniska Church (1956-58)
shows Aalto ' s design drawing
technique (from Fleig, Alvar Aalto, p.
228).
Fig. 4 The section of the lecture hall
in the main building in the Otaniemi
complex (1955-64) explains how the
clerestories also act as cross beams
to the major structural elements (from
Karl Fleig (ed .),Aivar Aalto 1963-1970.
Zurich : Verlag Fur Architecture Artemis, 1971, p. 197.
Fig. 5 In the interior of the Vuoksenniska Church, the undulating
surface became the undulating
space. The interior membrane (from
the theme of mediation) creates a
flowing spatial ensemble (photo : author).
Fig. 6 The interviewing area of the
Pensions Institute (1952-57) contains
both the themes of light and Aaltoesque space (photo : author).
Fig. 7 The interior space of the
Mount Angel Benedictine College
library (1965-70) provides another
expression to the themes of light and
Aaltoesque space (photo: author).
Fig. 8 The staircase and handrail to
the council chamber in the
Saynatsalo Town Hall (1950-52)
(photo : author).
Fig. 9 These diagrammatic sections
of the Vuoksenniska Church and the
Villa Carre (1956-58) explain the
concept of mediation : where the
internal and external membranes are
acting independently by responding
to separate needs.
Fig. 10 The interior of an older Finnish church located near Tampere
with its curved wooden ceiling
(photo : author).
l . . . . ..